‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ Sequel is Moving Forward

These past few weeks have not been kind to Universal: the studio could use some good news, following the mediocre domestic box office returns for Battleship. Fortunately, the studio’s prospective franchise starter, Snow White and the Huntsman, has so far proven to be a worthy gamble, after pulling in $118 million worldwide during its first week of theatrical release (with openings in multiple lucrative international markets still on the horizon).

Rumblings about Universal’s plans for Snow White to be the first chapter in a trilogy leaked out nearly a year ago. In the months proceeding the film’s release, additional reports began trickling in, suggesting that the sequel(s) will focus more on the nameless Huntsman, as played by The Avengers‘ Chris Hemsworth. (That idea makes sense after you see the movie – more on that later.)

Deadline has learned that a followup to Snow White and the Huntsman is indeed being fast-tracked, with big-name screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man) already at work on the first script draft (that story broke about a month ago). Universal is also looking to bring back director Rupert Sanders to helm the sequel, as his deal for the first film did not include a sequel option (unlike the main stars).

Kristen Stewart in 'Snow White and the Huntsman'

Snow White and the Huntsman (read our review) offers a lot of unique visual splendor, so Sanders’ return for the sequel would come as welcome news. However, the film’s script was (in our opinion) half-baked, leaving far too many plot threads dangling, to be resolved in later installments.

Furthermore, with the exceptions of the Huntsman and Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), most of the film’s characters were not properly fleshed-out. As was discussed on the SR Underground Podcast, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) ended up being little more than a glorified plot device – with Stewart stuck having to just run around and react to her fantastical surroundings (as opposed to being allowed a three-dimensional personality).

That’s all to say: there’s certainly room for improvement in the followup. With a capable storyteller like Koepp (whose hits outnumber his misses), and Sanders possibly returning armed with more experience, the Snow White sequel could actually fulfill on that potential.

We’ll keep you updated on the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel as the story develops.